Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
American classic captures romance, debauchery of Jazz Age.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 12 parent reviews
Based on 75 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a captivating exploration of the 192s, highlighting themes like the American Dream, love, and moral decay with richly developed characters and striking symbolism. While it has deep messages and beautiful prose, some younger readers find it challenging and may be uncomfortable with the content involving violence and affairs.
- complex characters
- vivid imagery
- American Dream
- mature themes
- engaging narrative
- detailed setting
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Nick Carraway spends a summer living in a cheap rental house surrounded by lavish mansions on Long Island in the 1920s. Among his neighbors are his beautiful cousin Daisy, her loutish husband Tom, and her former lover, Jay Gatsby, whose history and epic parties are fodder for gossip. Nick becomes caught up in the machinery of more than one romantic triangle as the summer begins to fade and Gatsby's orchestra stops playing.
Is It Any Good?
THE GREAT GATSBY is a magnificent novel on every level. Fitzgerald writes about the Jazz Age in language that beautifully evokes music. He writes about a hot day in a way that almost makes you sweat. His characters are well-drawn, and the plot is engaging and fast-paced. Though this novel is possibly best appreciated by college-level readers, advanced high school students will find a lot to enjoy and discuss.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Gatsby's five-year quest to regain Daisy's heart. Is his dream realistic? What is Fitzgerald saying about trying to recapture the past?
What kind of person is Nick? Do you feel he is a well-formed character? Why was he so devoted to Gatsby at the end of the book?
What is Gatsby really like? How is he different from the widely held ideas about him in the book?
Why do you think this book is considered a classic?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Literary Fiction
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scribner
- Publication date : April 10, 1925
- Number of pages : 192
- Last updated : September 13, 2023
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